From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 1348)
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
he casts the wicked to the ground.
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
Psalm 147:3, 6, 11
The attack on Wednesday-Thursday night was not aimed at Kyiv, but it did cause a lot of damage and fear in the western regions of Ukraine. And more rolling blackouts, which haven’t been too long or unbearable, thanks to sunny days and warmer weather.
The resistance movement in the occupied territories reports that those regions have been added to the russian military districts, which means they now have “legal” grounds to mobilize Ukrainian men in the occupied territories (which goes against the Geneva Convention). They used to mobilize men only from the parts occupied since 2014 (still a violation). So whenever you hear anyone say, “Ukraine should just give up its territories,” you should remember it’s never about just the territories. If they take our territories, they will also take our resources and men and come after new targets.
On Saturday, we were downtown, and all of a sudden, we heard the announcement of a military funeral procession. If you’ve ever been to Kyiv’s Independence Square (or any downtown location anywhere in the world), you can imagine it bustling with people. Yet in a moment, everyone froze. Those closer to the road were kneeling, and those further away stood solemnly in realization and appreciation of that man’s sacrifice. The procession stopped downtown for a minute of silence and then went on. We need these reminders to never take for granted our ability to live an ordinary-like life here while so many give their lives on the frontline.
Yet while this grief (for someone you didn’t even know) is killing you from the inside, it cannot destroy you because it fills you with a deeper sense of appreciation and a resolve to live in such a way so that their sacrifice will not be in vain.
As I’m posting this, ballistic missiles are flying over Kyiv (looks like they are aiming at the Zhytomyr region), and more ballistic missiles are expected to come. Please keep praying!
Voice of Ukraine 